The affected products have a best buy date of Aug. 9, 2015 and include 12-oz. boxes of “Bell & Evans Gluten Free Breaded Chicken Breast Nuggets” and 10.5-oz. boxes of “Bell & Evans Gluten Free Breaded Chicken Breast.” The products bear the establishment number “P-516” inside the USDA mark of inspection. FSIS said the chicken was shipped to retail locations nationwide.
The Colorado Department of Agriculture discovered the problem during a retail surveillance and sampling program at a Federal Emergency Response Network lab. FSIS conducted a traceback investigation after being notified of the positive test result.
Staphylococcal food poisoning is a gastrointestinal illness caused by eating foods contaminated with toxin-producingStaphylococcus aureus, which is a common bacterium found on the skin and in the noses of healthy people and animals. The bacterium can produce seven different toxins that are frequently responsible for food poisoning.
FSIS noted that Staphylococcal enterotoxins are fast acting, sometimes causing illness within 30 minutes. However, symptoms usually develop within one to six hours after eating contaminated food. No illnesses have been reported in connection with the recalled products, FSIS said.
